Metro Classic

A month ago, it didn't seem as if the Maryland Scholastic Association A Conference championship would be much of a game.It seemed inevitable that Dunbar would play either Southern or Lake Clifton for the title, and the Poets already had disposed of both rather handily.But a funny thing happened on the way to today's 7 p.m. championship game in the Metro Classic at the Baltimore Arena -- the Poets found some competition.Last Sunday, Southern, which lost to the Poets by 40 in January, led Dunbar for three quarters before the Poets rallied to win, 59-55, in the championship game of the Baltimore City Public Schools Tournament.

The raw speed and vertical leaping ability of Damion Moss helped Meade's football team earn a berth in this year's Class 4A state semifinal.Yesterday at Catonsville Community College, those attributes helped lift the Mustangs to the boys team title at the annual Metro Classic track and field meet.Moss, an All-Metro defensive back who intercepted 10 passes last season, picked up 26 points for the Mustangs by winning the high jump and finishing second in the 45-yard -- and 45 high hurdles. Moss' effort proved to be the difference as Meade held off runner-up Perry Hall, 56-50.

Unknown to Archbishop Curley, last night was a sentimental journey of sorts for the St. Paul's Crusaders.For 10 of their seniors, the Maryland Scholastic Association C Conference semifinal was to be their final home game, and they were determined to go out a winner.By outscoring the Friars 14-0 to open the game, they all but assured that. The Crusaders outshot, out-rebounded and outplayed Curley en route to an 81-53 win."When it came down to playing in this gym for the last time, it meant a lot," said St. Paul's guard Rob Bouse, who scored 20, including five three-pointers.

The Metro Classic Committee has announced plans for a new high school basketball mixer for Jan. 17 at the Baltimore Arena.The inaugural Fuel Fund Invitational, scheduled on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, will bring together some of the metropolitan area's best boys and girls teams for a five-game event.Proceeds from the mixer will benefit the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland, which helps needy families pay fuel costs.The mixer replaces the defunct Metro Classic, which originated in 1983 and matched the boys and girls city public school champions against the Catholic League champions.

There won't be a Metro Classic this winter, but there will be another high school basketball event benefiting The Fuel Fund of Central Maryland, which helps needy area families pay their heating bills.The Charm City/Big Apple Challenge, the result of a cooperative effort between the Bill Spotts Foundation and the Metro Classic Planning Committee, will be held Dec. 8 at the Baltimore Arena. A news conference is scheduled for Monday morning at City Hall.Headlining the four-game event will be a meeting between defending national champion Dunbar and St. Raymond's (N.Y.

The Metro Classic Committee has announced plans for a new high school basketball mixer for Jan. 17 at the Baltimore Arena.The inaugural Fuel Fund Invitational, scheduled on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, will bring together some of the metropolitan area's best boys and girls teams for a five-game event.Proceeds from the mixer will benefit the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland, which helps needy families pay fuel costs.The mixer replaces the defunct Metro Classic, which originated in 1983 and matched the boys and girls city public school champions against the Catholic League champions.

The Metro Classic, the annual city high school basketball charity event, is in jeopardy because of the Baltimore City Public Schools' entrance into the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association last spring.Its fate may depend on whether the city schools can get an exemption from the MPSSAA bylaws that prohibit members from playing on Sunday."The Baltimore Arena [traditional site of the Metro Classic] is not available any other day but Sunday, and the Towson Center is not available," said Joni Scholwin, co-chair of the Metro Classic Planning Committee.

No. 5 Walbrook got a late lift from 14-year-old freshman Jamee Greenwood last night in upsetting No. 2 Western, 49-47, for the City-Wide championship.Greenwood wowed the Morgan State crowd with eight fourth-quarter points, including the game-winner with less than a minute left, to help defeat a Western team that has started as many as four freshmen during the season.With the score tied, 47-47, and 32 seconds left in regulation, Greenwood drove the baseline and pulled up for a 10-footer that gave the Warriors their final margin of victory.

The champions of the Association of Independent Schools A Division and the girls Catholic League will meet at Gilman in a Feb. 27 basketball game to benefit the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland.The inaugural Baltimore Girls Independent Basketball championship for the Fuel Fund will pit Bryn Mawr of the AIS against the Catholic League's St. Mary's. Until this year, the girls Catholic League champion met the City-Wide champion in the Metro Classic.The Fuel Fund, which helps needy area families pay heating bills, had lost a large source of revenue with the cancellation of this season's Metro Classic.

The real winners of the Metro Classic will be the needy people receiving help from the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland. Past games have raised $100,000.The Metro Classic is sponsored by Baltimore Gas & Electric, Chevron, WBAL Radio, WBAL TV, West Coast Video and The Evening Sun.Tickets are $4 in advance at the schools. Sunday's cost at the Baltimore Arena is $8 for the four basketball championships, tapping off at 1 (St. Paul's-Boys' Latin), 3 (Edmondson-Carver), 5 (Western-Seton Keough) and 7 p.m. (Dunbar-Southern)

The champions of the Association of Independent Schools A Division and the girls Catholic League will meet at Gilman in a Feb. 27 basketball game to benefit the Fuel Fund of Central Maryland.The inaugural Baltimore Girls Independent Basketball championship for the Fuel Fund will pit Bryn Mawr of the AIS against the Catholic League's St. Mary's. Until this year, the girls Catholic League champion met the City-Wide champion in the Metro Classic.The Fuel Fund, which helps needy area families pay heating bills, had lost a large source of revenue with the cancellation of this season's Metro Classic.

There won't be a Metro Classic this winter, but there will be another high school basketball event benefiting The Fuel Fund of Central Maryland, which helps needy area families pay their heating bills.The Charm City/Big Apple Challenge, the result of a cooperative effort between the Bill Spotts Foundation and the Metro Classic Planning Committee, will be held Dec. 8 at the Baltimore Arena. A news conference is scheduled for Monday morning at City Hall.Headlining the four-game event will be a meeting between defending national champion Dunbar and St. Raymond's (N.Y.

The Metro Classic, the annual city high school basketball charity event, is in jeopardy because of the Baltimore City Public Schools' entrance into the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association last spring.Its fate may depend on whether the city schools can get an exemption from the MPSSAA bylaws that prohibit members from playing on Sunday."The Baltimore Arena [traditional site of the Metro Classic] is not available any other day but Sunday, and the Towson Center is not available," said Joni Scholwin, co-chair of the Metro Classic Planning Committee.

:TC Walbrook senior Sheranda Palmer may have sacrificed one award for another. But she's not complaining.Palmer scored 18 points -- 14 in the second half -- grabbed 13 rebounds and was named Most Valuable Player in leading No. 3 Walbrook (19-1) to a 50-30 victory over No. 5 St. Mary's in the Metro Classic yesterday at the Baltimore Arena.Palmer, who averages nine points and seven rebounds, is one of the Warriors' lesser-known players. In fact, she is Walbrook's nominee in the McCormick Unsung Hero awards banquet in May."

Walbrook senior Sheranda Palmer may have sacrificed one award for another. But she's not complaining.Palmer scored 18 points -- 14 in the second half -- grabbed 13 rebounds and was named Most Valuable Player in leading No. 3 Walbrook (19-1) to a 50-30 victory over No. 5 St. Mary's in the Metro Classic yesterday at the Arena.Palmer, who averages nine points and seven rebounds, is one of the Warriors' lesser-known players. In fact, she is Walbrook's nominee in the McCormick Unsung Hero awards banquet in May."

Top-ranked Dunbar High, which has seemed nearly invincible this season while compiling a 16-1 record, faces its toughest test today when it travels to No. 2 Southern (10-3) at 3:30 p.m.The last time these teams met, Southern beat Dunbar in the Metro Classic in March to win the Maryland Scholastic Association A Conference championship. Southern also has beaten Dunbar the previous two times the teams met at Southern, in 1988 and 1989."We haven't won down there in a long time," Dunbar coach Pete Pompey said.